Curseslinger (5e Class)

Curseslinger

A human wearing a deep black robe lifts his hand and laughs as a bolt of lightning arcs from it, sending it coursing through an unfortunate kobold that dared to disturb his study.

A half-orc in desolate ruins walks between crumbling pillars with her claws extended, then shifts the darkness within her to transform into a great monster, charging at the Yuan-ti that threatened her home.

A tiefling winces as the blade enters his arm, but glares at the gnoll responsible and sends dark energies coursing through his assailant, ready to hit back even harder.

The curseslinger is a caster with dark powers infused into their very soul, granting them the ability to tap into ancient, terrifying powers

Creating a Curseslinger

First, pick Charisma as your highest score, followed by Constitution or Strength if you want to become a Night Terror. Second, choose the hermit background. Thirdly, choose the chill touch, dancing lights, light, and ray of frost cantrips, and the first level spells magic missile and witch bolt.

You are a curseslinger, a caster with powers bestowed by an inherent inner darkness. You are not necessarily evil, but you might be. What caused this inner darkness? Did you live in a desolate swamp, scorching desert, heartless slum or other inhospitable place for many years before the sinister power awakened? Did you study in secrecy in some shadowy library for many years before learning the powers of a curseslinger? Or perhaps some horrible event in your past left you without a home and with a terrible power seething within you.

Class Features

As a Curseslinger you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Curseslinger level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Curseslinger level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: none
Weapons: simple weapons
Tools: poisoner's kit and herbalism kit
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose three from Arcana, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a dagger or (b) one simple weapon of choice
• (a) poisoner's kit or (b) component pouch
• (a) explorer's pack or (b) scholar's pack
• A herbalism kit, a quarterstaff, and an arcane focus

Table: The Curseslinger

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Hex Points	Spells Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
						1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+2	Unarmored Defence, Spellcasting, Hex Points	4	1	2	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Dark Touch	4	2	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Curseslinger Archetype	4	3	4	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	5	4	5	4	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	—	5	5	6	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	Wild Hex	5	6	7	4	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	Curseslinger Archetype Feature	5	7	8	4	3	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	5	8	9	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+4	—	6	9	10	4	3	3	3	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+4	Hex Point Improvement	6	10	11	4	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+4	Curseslinger Archetype Feature	6	11	12	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	6	12	12	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
13th	+5	Vengeance	6	13	13	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
14th	+5	—	6	14	13	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
15th	+5	Curseslinger Archetype Feature	6	15	14	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	6	16	14	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
17th	+6	—	6	17	15	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18th	+6	Dark Heart	6	18	15	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	6	19	15	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	+6	Vicious Mastery	6	20	15	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

Unarmored Defense

Starting at 1st level, when not wearing armor or wielding a shield, your armor class is 10 + your Dexterity modifier and your Charisma modifier.

Spellcasting

In your past, something dark touched you, and it left a mark on your soul, infusing you with dark magic. This darkness, however it came to you, gave you your dark magic. See chapter 10 for general rules of spellcasting and the end of this page for the curseslinger spell list.

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know four cantrips of your choice from the curseslinger spell list. You learn additional Curseslinger cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the curseslinger table.

Spell Slots

The curseslinger table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these Curseslinger spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell burning hands and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast burning hands using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the curseslinger spell list.
The Spells Known column of the curseslinger table shows when you learn more curseslinger spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the curseslinger spells you know and replace it with another spell from the curseslinger spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your curseslinger spells, since the power of your magic relies on your ability to project your inner powers outward. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a curseslinger spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Hex Points

At the 1st level, you gain the ability to use hex points. Hex points are the reflection of your inner darkness. You have a number of hex points equal to your level, and you may expend them to add one of a number of additional effects to your spells. At 1st level, you pick 1 from the following options. You may pick another option at 5th level (2), 10th level (3), 15th level (4), and 20th level (5). Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you may choose to replace any number of known hexes with other hexes. You may only add one effect to a spell, and you regain all spent hex points at the end of a long rest. At 10th level, you may add two effects and add the number of hex points required together.

Ruinous Hex — When you make a spell attack roll, you may expend 3 hex points to make a single target of the spell become vulnerable to that kind of damage for the attack. This may not change a creature's damage immunities, but it may change a creature's damage resistances to standard damage, not vulnerability.

Adaptable Hex — When you cast a spell that deals damage, you may expend 1 hex point to change the type of damage dealt into necrotic damage.

Purging Hex — When you cast a spell that deals damage, you can spend a number of hex points equal to the number of dice rolled for the attack and reroll any dice if you choose. You must use the second result, even if it is lower.

Warding Hex — When you take damage up to 1 minute after casting a spell with this effect, you may expend a number of hex points equal to the damage dice rolled, but no greater than your Charisma modifier, to gain resistance to that type of damage for that attack.

Shattering Hex — When you cast a spell that deals damage, you may expend 1 hex point to reduce the target's AC by 1 until the end of your next turn.

Discouraging Hex — When you cast a spell that deals damage against a single target, you may expend 3 hex points to force the target to make a Wisdom saving throw with DC equal to your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target's next action is limited to the Dash, Disengage, or Hide actions.

Dark Touch

At 2nd level, as a bonus action you may channel the darkness within you. One creature within 5 feet of you must make a successful Wisdom saving throw with DC equal to your spell save DC or take necrotic damage equal to your level + your Charisma modifier (minimum one point of damage). You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum one time). You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Curseslinger Archetype

At 3rd level, choose the Night Terror, Hexmaster, or Dreadwalker archetype, detailed at the end of this class description. Your archetype grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Wild Hex

At 6th level, you may channel your inner darkness to inflict terrible curses on your victims, though it will leave you in a weakened state. Using your reaction, make any creature that has to save against one of your spells face disadvantage on their save, but your next action is restricted to the Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Hide actions.

Vengeance

At the 13th level, whenever you take damage from an attack, you may roll the same number and type of dice as the attacker. If you rolled higher than the damage you took, you gain 1 hex point. You may only exceed your hex point maximum by 2 by gaining hex points in this way. You may only use this feature a number of times per short rest equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum once).

Dark Heart

At 18th level, the darkness that flows through your soul has changed you in a more powerful way than normal, granting you resistance to necrotic damage and darkvision out to 60 feet. If you already had darkvision, extend the distance by 60 feet.

Vicious Mastery

At 20th level, the dark powers that flow through your veins reaches its apex. Your eyes become darker, and your spells are infused with a great power, a mastery of the darkness within you and of the powers you control. By expending 5 hex points, if you cast a spell that deals damage, you can make your spell deal maximum damage, and if it deals necrotic damage, the damage is increased by 1d6. Spells that do not deal damage have their duration increased by 10 minutes.

Curseslinger Archetypes

Night Terror

All Curseslingers are somewhat shunned by society, but none more than those called Night Terrors. The darkness that has altered your soul has also begun to change your body in unsettling ways.

Night Claws

When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, your unarmed attacks deal 1d6 slashing damage using your charisma modifier for the attack and damage.

Terrifying

At 7th level, the darkness that flows within you has twisted your body in horrifying ways. You have advantage on Intimidation rolls if you have a higher Charisma modifier than the target, and attempts to intimidate you have disadvantage if the intimidator has a lower Charisma modifier than you.

Twist Body

At 11th level, you may force a number of living opponents equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum one) to make a Wisdom save with DC equal to your Spell Save DC. On a failed save, the victim takes 2d6 necrotic damage and you force the victim to suffer one of the following for a number of minutes equal to your level:

Crippled - The victim has its speed halved and has disadvantage on Dexterity rolls

Weakened - The victim drops whatever it is carrying and has disadvantage on Strength rolls

Shattered - The victim has its Hit Point maximum reduced by your Charisma modifier (minimum 1 Hit Point) and has disadvantage on Constitution rolls

Twisted - The victim cannot speak and has disadvantage on Charisma rolls

Broken - The victim cannot make reactions and has disadvantage on Wisdom rolls

Halted - The victim always has the last initiative and has disadvantage on Intelligence rolls

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum once) per long rest.

Dreadful Transformation

At 14th level, the Night Terror can spend a number of Hex Points and concentrate, as if for a spell, for a number of minutes equal to the Hex Points spent. When the period of concentration is fulfilled, you transform into a nightmarish creature for a number of minutes equal to Hex Points spent. In this form, you gain 2d6 temporary hit points that last as long as you are in this form, your AC is equal to 13 + your Dexterity modifier, and you have advantage on Constitution and Strength saving throws for the duration. You may only use this feature once per long rest.

Hexmaster

Some Curseslingers show a disturbing efficiency in their hexes and dark arts, and can destroy opponents with great powers.

Forced Decay

When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, add your Charisma modifier to any Necrotic damage you deal.

Hex Strike

At 7th level, you may expend 1 hex point to add 1d6 necrotic damage to your weapon attacks or unarmed strikes. This lasts for one minute

Spellbreaker

At 11th level, when you attack a creature concentrating on a spell, you may use your reaction to impose disadvantage on that creature's Constitution save to retain concentration.

Wrathful

At 14th level, when you activate Vengeance, you may, instead of recovering hex points, deal 2d6 necrotic damage to a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum one) within 30 feet of you.

Dreadwalker

All Curseslingers are somewhat infused with darkness, but in none is this mixture more powerful than in the Dreadwalker.

Lingering Terror

When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, as long as a creature is afraid of you and you are not in that creature's line of sight, you may use your reaction to make that creature suffer the effects of fear as if you were within its line of sight until the end of your next turn.

Anathema

At 7th level, if you take damage from an attack, you may use your reaction to add advantage to your next attack made at that creature, until the end of your next turn.

Sphere of Fear

At 11th level, you may create a 15 foot sphere centred on yourself for a number of minutes equal to your curseslinger level. Creatures that are hostile to you that enter this area are forced to make a Wisdom save with DC equal to your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature is frightened of you until it leaves the area. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per short rest (minimum once).

Lifestealer

At 14th level, when you kill a living creature with a spell, you may regain hit points equal to the spell's level multiplied by 2.

Curseslinger Spell List

Cantrips

Acid splash, blade ward, chill touch, dancing lights, eldritch blast, frostbite, light, mage hand, minor illusion, poison spray, prestidigitation, ray of frost, shocking grasp, thunderclap, true strike.

1st Level

Armor of Agathys, bane, burning hands, detect evil and good, disguise self, false life, fog cloud, grease, hellish rebuke, hex, hideous laughter, magic missile, ray of sickness, shield, silent image, sleep, thunderwave, witch bolt.

2nd Level

Acid arrow, blindness/deafness, blur, cloud of daggers, continual flame, crown of madness, darkness, darkvision, detect thoughts, enthrall, flaming sphere, invisibility, levitate, Maximillian’s earthen grasp, misty step, ray of enfeeblement, scorching ray, see invisibility, shatter, spider climb, suggestion, web.

3rd Level

Bestow curse, blink, erupting earth, fear, fireball, fly, gaseous form, hunger of Hadar, hypnotic pattern, lightning bolt, major image, Melf’s minute meteors, remove curse, sleet storm, slow, stinking cloud, tongues, vampiric touch.

4th Level

Blight, dimension door, greater invisibility, hallucinatory terrain, ice storm, phantasmal killer, polymorph, wall of fire.

5th Level

Animate objects, cloudkill, cone of cold, contagion, insect plague, mislead, passwall, scrying, telekinesis, wall of stone.

6th Level

Chain lightning, circle of death, disintegrate, eyebite, flesh to stone, freezing sphere, programmed illusion, wall of ice.

7th Level

Delayed blast fireball, finger of death, fire storm, forcecage, reverse gravity, teleport.

8th Level

Abi-Dalzim’s horrid wilting, demiplane, feeblemind, incendiary cloud, power word stun.

9th Level

Astral projection, imprisonment, meteor swarm, power word kill, true polymorph, wish.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the curseslinger class, you must meet these prerequisites: Cha or Wis 13.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the curseslinger class, you gain the following proficiencies: poisoner's kit, herbalism kit.

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